WESTERN HAN DYNASTY 206 B.C. – 8 A.D. Early Chinese Bronze

A Western Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 8) Bronze Zoomorphic Spouted Bronze He or Jiaohu, a Kettle. The Compressed Circular Body is Supported by Three Waisted Legs. The Spout has a Bird Form End with a Hinged Flap with the Appearance of a Beak, the Cover is Hinged. The Handel has an Open End and is Constructed to Take a Wood Handel.

SOLD

Condition: Very good, The top section of the loop which joins to the bar on the cover with a small section missing so the cover can be detached from the body. A small old crack to the cover.

References:A similar bronze kettle was excavated at Dongyang, Xuyi county, the tomb has been dated to the mid to late Western Han period. For another Han bronze He or Jiaohu kettle with the whole handle modelled as a scaled winged serpentine type beast see : The Robert Hatfield Ellsworth Collection, Chinese Archaic & Gilt Bronzes, Sotheby`s New York, March 19, 2002, lot 46. A very similar Han kettle made as a Mingqi model from grey pottery from the collection of George Eumorfopoulos is now on display at the British Museum.